Maritia Gully

Job Title
Regional Epidemiologist

Department/Location
Public Health Surveillance Unit (PHSU)

How long have you worked at VCH?
A year and a half in my current role, but I worked with the PHSU previously as a field epidemiologist from 2007 to 2009.

Tell us what you do at VCH in one or two sentences:
As part of the PHSU team I am involved in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation but I spend most of my time working on the My Health My Community Project (check out our first release of our Transportation and Health analysis here: https://www.myhealthmycommunity.org/Results.aspx). We worked tirelessly to recruit over 33,000 VCH and FH residents to complete our survey in 2013-14. Now we’re working on analysing the data and getting the information into the hands of those who can use it to improve the health of our communities – residents, community agencies and local governments – to name a few!!

What’s your favourite thing about your work?
My co-workers, hands down! I love working in population and public health generally and looking at the “bigger picture” of health but I also love the fact that that my work will ultimately contribute to improving the health of the communities that I personally live, work and play in and help to build a healthier environment for my kids as they grow up.

How does your work contribute to the VCH True North goals?
My Health My Community by design contributes to the True North goal of providing better health for our communities. The project provides valuable information that will contribute to the True North objective to “improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities in the populations we serve.”

One thing we might be surprised to learn about you:
I went skydiving with my dad for my 18th birthday.

Three things you always have in your fridge:
Greek yogurt, almond butter and many different varieties of olives (and local cider when I’m not pregnant!).

Who or what inspires you?
These days, mostly my parents for their contributions to public health and social justice and my kids, for different reasons : )

Most healthy habit:
Limiting my sugar intake.

Favourite vacation spot:
I’ve always loved white sandy beaches but since moving to Vancouver I have fallen in love with the more rugged Pacific Northwest. The Oregon coast has become a family favourite.